Our Glory Days
by Noa-Pearl
Summary: Lily Rhodes and Kirsten Nichol are best friends, currently residing on campus at Berkeley University. Kirsten is a Art History student, Lily is studying Journalism while trying to make a career in photography. What happens when they run into a cute musician and a just-graduated law student that's trying to help all underdogs? A The OC/Gossip Girl crossover, Kirsten/Sandy/Lily/Rufus
1. Prologue & 1

_Note: Okay. So. The OC kind of is my holy grail best tv show ever kind of thing. LOVE IT. I recently started on Gossip Girl, what I in all honestly love as well but not nearly as much as The OC. But... I can't be the only one who has ever imagined Kirsten Cohen and Lily Rhodes to have been friends in their youth. Think about it. It makes sense. Doesn't it? I think it does! Anyway, I've been on this trip down memorylane once again, re-watching The OC for like the 100th time and this idea started coming up... I've always been a huge Kirsten/Sandy fan, and as some of you may know (see Queen of the East) I'm a newly found Rufus/Lily fan as well. So… There came the idea of a story with *drumrolls*…. Kirsten, Sandy, Rufus AND Lily. Haha, I hope there are people somewhere still interested in this, I'm most definitely enjoying writing this. Kirsten & Sandy and Rufus & Lily probably are my two favorite tv couples in like, ever, so I figured I should give it a good try and write something, because, well, someway it seems appropriate for them to know each other. Okay I'm rambling so much so I should probably stop and let you guys just read. Please let me know your thoughts and ideas, they are always greatly appreciated. I'm not sure how many people are still reading stories from both fandoms, but, hey, I love writing it even without tons of readers. Please enjoy! X._

 _Summary: Lily Rhodes and Kirsten Nichol are best friends, currently residing on campus at Berkeley University. Kirsten is a Art History student, Lily is studying Journalism while trying to make a career in photography. Kirsten and Jimmy just broke off their relationship as he made another girl pregnant back in Newport Beach. Lily and Kirsten vow to stay single for the rest of their time as a student while going out on adventures together and trying their best to graduate in time. What happens when to run into a cute musician and a just graduated law student that's trying to help all underdogs?_  
 _Rating: It's T-rated max, if it ever goes up, you'll hear it…_  
 _Spoilers: None, AU obviously._

 _ **Glory Days**_

 **Prologue**

"Hey beautiful!"

"Hey yourself, God I love those shoes on you."

"Thanks, you're looking good in your shorts."

"Thanks gorgeous, I bought them yesterday in one of those vintage shops. Such a good find."

Lily Rhodes and Kirsten Nichol chuckled before Lily said: "Jesus, people probably think we're insane when they hear us talk like this."

"We are." The girls smiled as Lily handed Kirsten an iced latte. "Here, got you a latte."

"Perfect."

The girls took a stroll along the beach, watching the sun set. It was something they both loved; seeing that beautiful orange sun dissappear into the sea.

Lily and Kirsten looked a like with their sunglasses on. Both were blonde, skinny, tall, with long, tanned legs and pretty smiles. Their eye colors definitely set them apart though; Kirsten's piercing eyes were blue, while Lily's were light brown with a green halo around them. They appeared to be one of a kind though, and the girls happily took advantage of it every now and then.

They decided to sit down in the sand for a moment when they reached a quiet part of the beach. Lily noticed dolphins a bit off the coast and smiled. She loved this. She took a look to her left, noticing Kirsten staring into space. Lily grabbed her hand, getting her attention, before saying: "Hey. You okay?"

Kirsten nodded and sighed at the same time. "Yeah…"

"You're thinking about Jimmy, aren't you?"

Kirsten grumbled. "It's so fucking frustrating. I want him out of my head, but he just seems to pop up everywhere, all the time. If I go eat ice cream I'll think of times we had ice cream together, whenever I'm at the beach I think of all the sunsets we've seen together… It's just, argh!"

Kirsten's frustration made Lily almost chuckle. She was glad she didn't though; she knew her friend was still hurt. Lily threw her arm around Kirsten as she said: "You're right, you should get him out of your head. He's a fucking idiot. But sometimes it just takes your heart a little while to get used to all that. Give yourself some time, you'll be good eventually. And you will always have me!"

A small smile appeared on Kirsten's lips as she rested her head on Lily's shoulder. "Thank God I have you! You know, I think we should just forget all those freaking guys for a while. Just you and I, going all out on adventures on our own."

Lily chuckled. She'd been without a guy for a while now. In all honesty, she just really didn't feel like being with someone at the moment. Every guy she met seemed to have something that turned her off completely. Perhaps she just needed to wait until she ran into Johnny Depp some day after all. "That sounds perfect!"

Kirsten moved herself so she was facing Lily, an exited smile on her lips as she said: "Pinky swear! You, Lily Rhodes and I, Kirsten Nichol, hereby vow to go out on adventures together forever!"

Their pinky's collided while Lily chuckled and added: "And perhaps will both be graduating as well!"

"Yeah, that's a good one too."

The girls chuckled as they sat down in the beach. This year would be perfect. Absolutely perfect!

 ** _1._**

"Kirsten, what is that smell?" Lily crinkled her nose while making her way over to the kitchen of their dorm. Kirsten had said she was going to make them some grilled cheese, but this smelt more like burnt cheese.

"Jesus, Kirsten, what are you doing?" Lily chuckled loud when she saw Kirsten's red face above their stove, which was fuming while something had obviously already been baked a bit too long.

Kirsten shrugged and yelled: "I don't know."

Lily made her way over to the stove, figuring the grilled cheese couldn't be saved anymore as she threw the entire pan in the sink. "I never thought I would meet a worse cook than myself."

Kirsten stuck out her tongue. "Well, I'm glad there's something I can defeat you in."

The girls both chuckled before Kirsten said: "So… Maybe we should go out for lunch after all…"

Lily shrugged. "Hmm, it is Friday after all." She looked at the clock, noticing her next class would start in an hour. "My next class is in an hour… You think I'll make it?"

"If you're okay with me coming with you dressed like this…" Kirsten pointed to her outfit, making Lily chuckle. Kirsten was wearing her fluffy flip flops, baggy joggers and an oversized t-shirt, her hair put up in a messy bun. "Well, if you at least pretend to hurry up a bit then I can at least try to be there in time. Shoot!" Lily ushered her friend into her room, hoping she'd hurry up. She had European Literature on Friday's, and despite her actually enjoying those classes, Fridays weren't the best days for them. Fridays were for celebrating the weekend.

Lily tried cleaning up the mess Kirsten had made while she was changing, hoping she wouldn't take too long. She really was starving.

Lily therefor was happy to find them in their favorite off-campus lunchroom, sipping coffee and eating tuna melts. They were in the middle of laughing about some silly thing that had happened the night before when Lily noticed him. This couldn't be happening. Kirsen couldn't see him…. Oh fuck, he had seen them. This was bad. Very bad.

"Lil… Hey… Earth to Lily?" Kirsten snapped her fingers in front of her friend, not sure why she was zoning out all of a sudden.

"Eh Kirsten, I think we should go."

"But I haven't even finished my sandwich yet..." Kirsten stayed put, eating her food while looking at Lily with a questionable frown on her face. "Kirsten!"

Lily really wanted to get Kirsten out of this place, but she knew she had miserably failed. He was coming over to them, and Lily wasn't sure how her friend would respond.

"Lily, Kirsten! I was hoping to run into you here."

The voice made Kirsten cringe; she knew exactly to whom it belonged and she wasn't at all interested in seeing the man.

"Matthew, hi!" Kirsten faked her smile, trying to ignore the guy behind her and continue her conversation with Lily. If only she had remembered what they were talking about. Ever since it had become known to the public that Kirsten Nichol was single again, he had been trying to get her to go out with him. Matthew looked good; that really wasn't the problem. The guy was just so annoying. And so dumb… Kirsten hated calling people dumb, but this guy really just topped pretty much everything she had ever seen before. What he was doing at Berkeley had always been quite a question.

"So, girls… What are you up to today?" Matthew grabbed a chair from the table next to them and joined them. Lily sighed; she knew Matthew was asking Kirsten but decided to answer anyway. "We, have class in a few minutes." She'd stressed the we, hoping Matthew would get the point.

"You too Kirsten? I thought you had Fridays off." He raised his eyebrow while looking at Kirsten, who seemed slightly shocked. How was the guy even aware of her schedule. Lily had answered before she could though. "Yes, we. Come on Kirs, we have to go. Now. Bye, Matthew." Lily gathered her things quickly, happy to see Kirsten doing the same.

The moment they got out of the diner, Kirsten chuckled. "That guy is so persistent."

Lily frowned. "I know… For real though, how does he know your schedule? It's…. Odd."

"I know."

The girls made their way over to campus as Kirsten said: "You know what, I'll go to the library. I have this paper due on Monday, maybe it'll be a good idea for me to work on that for a while. We can meet after your class? It'll be happy hour at Marcy's then." Kirsten wiggled her eyebrows, making Lily laugh. "It's always happy hour at Marcy's! But that sounds good, We can meet at four in front of the building."

* * *

It was obviously Friday. The usually packed library was almost empty, giving Kirsten plenty of space to start working on her paper. She made her way to one of the large wooden tables, spreading all her books and papers on the table, making sure everything was far enough from the carton cup filled with coffee. Would be awful to spill that all over her stuff, and –luckily,- Kirsten knew that always was a possibility when being Kirsten Nichol. She could be so clumsy someties.

Kirsten loathed the stuff she needed to write about within thirty minutes. Jesus, this was horrible. As an art history student, Kirsten usually read about stuff she adored. She loved pretty much everything that had to with it. A little pressure from her father though had caused her to choose some electives regarding America's legal system and justice. It had obviously been a mistake.

"Looks like someone could use a little help here."

"I think I'll manage perfectly fine on my own, but.." Kirsen turned her head while making her snappy comment, annoyed that a guy apparently thought he could once again be here savior. What was it with guys that always thought she needed their help? She most definitely didn't. When she met a pair of piercing blue eyes though, Kirsten cursed herself for sounding so cold and bitchy. She had never seen this guy before, he seemed… Nice.

Kirsten's lips formed into a small smile as she continued. "But I have to admit this paper is killing me. You don't need to get worked up over that though, I'll be fine."

The blue eyed guy didn't say a word as he took a look at the books and papers scattered around the table, giving Kirsten some time to get a good look at him. His hair was dark, a little bit on the long side, but nice. He wore a pair of faded jeans and sneakers, a grey sweater on top. Nothing special, but it suited him. Kirsten knew she was caught staring when the guy suddenly turned back to her, a grin on his face as he said: "Well, since you said you'll manage perfectly fine on your own, I won't bother you anymore… I'll just suggest you only use this book right there, chapter 11 and 12 and this paper over there to finish your own paper." He pointed to some stuff on the table before adding: "It'll be enough. Trust me, I've written this paper too." He still had this grin on his face, making it impossible for Kirsten not to smile back.

"Eh… Thanks, I think… That's… That's kind."

"No problem."

As soon as the guy had showed up, he dissapeared again. A little to Kirsten's dismay though. She wondered who that guy was; he most definitely wasn't in one of her classes. She shrugged before getting back into her paper again, most definitely keeping in mind what the blue eyed guy had told her seconds before.

Kirsten fled the library a little too late; she knew Lily was probably waiting for her already. She didn't really see where she was going as she was so lost in thoughts. She was taken aback when a guy suddenly turned in front of her, wanting to hand her a flyer. She didn't even hear what he was saying as she said:

"No, thanks." It was then that it hit her; that was the guy. The guy that had been heping her out in the library.

"What are you, a Republican? Oh, I'm sorry, did you catch it from your parents? I hear it's hereditary?"

Kirsten couldn't help but smile; this guy was rambling. She tucked her hair behind her ear, not sure what to say. She wasn't even sure if he recognized her. "I guess I did…"

Their eyes locked and she smiled at him. He smiled back. What was that spark she was feeling? This was weird. She was about to continue her way when she heard him say: "Well if you don't want a pamphlet, here, have a pin on me."

She accepted the reddish pin, taking a good look before she said: "I might wear it, but only because it's stylish."

Their eyes locked once again, and Kirsten wasn't sure if she was supposed to say something about their encounter earlier. Thank him, perhaps, for his help. She really had only needed the information he had pointed out to her. He beat her to it though.

"You know, if you're not a pamphlet reader, I could take you to coffee...tell you all about why Mondale and Ferraro are gonna lose."

Ah. Charming. Most definitely a ladies man, Kirsten assumed. Smooth talk he had there. She could play that game too. "If you're so sure they're gonna lose, then why bother?"

"I don't know… It feels right. So… Coffee?"

Kirsten couldn't help herself. This guy… His dark hair, blue eyes, grey sweater… He was too cute. She nodded, a small smile forming on her lips as she said: "You know, I think it should by my treat. Your help on my paper has been greatly appreciated."

A grin appeared once again on the guy's face. "Ah… So my help was welcome after all?" He winked and she chuckled. "Yeah, sorry for being so bitchy. Habit sometimes, I guess. But… Coffee. Sounds good."

"You're free tomorrow afternoon?"

Kirsten nodded. "Sure. Tomorrow's good. We can meet at the Coffee Bean at three."

"Sounds good to me." Their eyes were still locked as Kirsten said: "Good. I'll see you there."

She turned around, knowing Lily was waiting for her and planning on quickly making her way over to her friend when she heard the guy call out for her again. "Hey!"

Kirsten turned around, looking in his blue eyes once more, as he said: "I didn't catch your name…" Kirsten smiled. That was right. They never caught each other's name. She handed out her right hand, glad he accepted it immediately as she said: "I'm Kirsten." His hand felt soft and warm and she was surprised to find herself wanting to hold on to it. "Hi Kirsten, I'm Sandy."

Meanwhile, Lily was waiting quite impatiently. Kirsten was late, something that didn't usually happen. The sun was shining, so Lily really didn't feel that bad about waiting at all. It was just that she was wondering what the hell was taking Kirsten so long. She was a good fifteen minutes late now. Lily figured she'd light a cigarette. She was so caught up in firing the thing that she didn't notice a familiar figure standing next to her.

"Hey, can I borrow a light?"

Lily rolled her eyes when she recognized the voice; Matthew again. "Sure." She handed her lighter over to him without looking at him, hoping he would go away soon. He wasn't planning on that apparently. "So, who are you waiting for… Kirsten?"

Lily looked at the guy next to her, frowning, as she said: "I don't think that's really any of your business."

The guy shrugged. "Sorry… It's just that… I don't understand why she doesn't want to go out with me."

Lily rolled her eyes. "Honey, she just broke up with the guy that has been her boyfriend for years. Cut her some slack… If she wants to go out with you, she'll approach you. Don't push her." Lily came off sweeter then she had intended to; she suddenly felt a little bad for the guy, who obviously had the hots for her best friend.

Matthew sighed as he handed her back her lighter. "Maybe you're right. Thanks Lily, appreciate it." He then took off, leaving Lily on her own again to wait for her friend.

Kirsten showed up the moment Lily had finished her cigarette, her face flushed. "Lil, I'm so sorry…"

Lily smiled. "No worries. What took you so long, I was afraid you were like, passed out in the library or something."

Kirsten shook her head as the girls started walking off of school property. "Nothing like that. At all. I think I'm going on a date tomorrow."

"Wait, what?" Lily's jaw dropped as she looked at Kirsten, who shrugged.

"I know, I know, we said to forget men for a while and focus on other stuff. But this guy… I don't know, he just… God, I think he actually left me speechless."

Lily chuckled; Kirsten did seem speechless. She linked her arm in her friend's as she said: "Okay, maybe you should get yourself together again and then tell me all about this. What the hell happened in that library?"

 _Note: So, yess, I stole that little Sandy/Kirsten scene from the show. But, hello, it was the cutest thing ever! And yes, there's a reason for them to meet this early on in the story ;) . I hope you liked it, please let me know, I love reviews... Just like everybody here, haha :) XO._


	2. 2

_Note: Yay, second chapter. I just started a new job so I'm afraid I won't be able to update super often, especially since I have Queen of the East up and running as well, but I will try. Hope you guys will enjoy this one! XO._

 ** _2._**

Saturdays usually were for hangovers and watching movies in bed all morning. Kirsten was up at ten today though; she was excited and nervous and really couldn't sleep anymore. Instead of making breakfast, she decided to play it safe and slice some fruits. She didn't want Lily to wake up due to the fire alarm going off because she tried to make pancakes again, or anything else that included their stove for that matter.

Kirsten tried to not be too excited. Yes, she was going out for coffee with this extremely cute guy. But she had just broken up with Jimmy, and in all honesty, Kirsten knew that she probably wasn't ready yet for a new relationship. She did realize coffee didn't necessarily mean a relationship though, and tried telling herself to ease up a little bit. It was only coffee. Just coffee.

She ate her fruit in silence as she wondered about what to wear. A skirt, jeans, shorts… So many options. Kirsten quietly grumbled; she hadn't been on a date for years. This was actually quite a challenge. 

* * *

Kirsten was fashionably late at the Coffee Bean, arriving a little after three. She noticed Sandy on their terrace, a coffee already in front of him. She noticed another one there as well, seemingly an iced latte. Had he really ordered something random for her?

She approached him with a smile, not sure about what to do. Kiss him hello, just sit down in front of him… She decided to do the latter as she got to the table. "Hey, Sandy!"

"Kirsten!" He smiled a wide smile upon seeing her, making Kirsten's heart skip a beat. He had such a good smile. "I took a gamble and decided to order you an iced latte…" Kirsten couldn't help but smile. She and Jimmy always got into fights whenever he ordered her anything without consulting her. Somehow this seemed okay though. "That's perfect… Thanks, Sandy."

"So… Kirsten… You're a Republican and you're not very much interested in studying law. Tell me more." He looked at her, his blue eyes never letting go of hers as he was waiting for her to reply.  
Kirsten couldn't help but blush slightly; those eyes seemed to pierce right through her, they were so intense. She tried to regain her composure, tried to be all confident as she replied: "Hmm, so much more to tell. I'll start easy though. I'm an Art History student. My father talked me into doing some classes regarding justice and America's legal system… Bad idea."

Sandy chuckled. "You hate 'em that much, huh?"

"It's just… Not my thing." Sandy nodded as they stared at each other for a bit. Kirsten was so taken aback. Sandy was so different from all the other guys she had ever met, so different from the Newport men she'd always known growing up. She could already tell despite having known him for such a short amount of time.

"So, Kirsten…." Sandy paused for a second as the waitress brought them a piece of chocolate cake, and waited for her to turn around again before saying: "I hope you like chocolate cake." He wiggled his heavy eyebrows and Kirsten couldn't help but chuckle. "Of course I do."

He handed her a little fork and she dug in immediately. Sandy couldn't help but smile; her love for chocolate cake most definitely was apparent.

"Hmm… This is good. So, Sandy… You have this slight accent, I can't really seem to fit. Where are you from?"

"The other side of the country, New York. The Bronx, actually."

Kirsten nodded. That was interesting. Perhaps that was one of the reasons why he was so different from all men she knew. Plus, New York… Kirsten had never been there, though she definitely had been dreaming about it. "That's amazing. Why would you ever want to leave New York?"

Sandy chuckled. "Oh well, so many reasons. I just wanted something new…. Something fresh. Berkeley seemed like the perfect place. Plus, I'm a surfer… I love surfing, so California seemed the best place for me."

They were still taking three hours later. The chocolate cake had been long gone, but the words seemed to keep flowing. Sandy rambled quite a lot, though Kirsten actually thought it was quite adorable. Sandy seemed so full of life, so determined to help people in need and enjoy his own life to the fullest while doing so. His spirit felt like such a breath of fresh air to Kirsten; it was so different from everything she was used to. Sandy didn't care about status, or money. He cared about being happy.

It was a little after six when they stood in front of the Coffee Bean again, slowly walking their way into the direction of Kirsten's dorm again.

"So, do you always talk this much, Sandy Cohen?"

Sandy chuckled before saying: "Some find it charming… What are you doing tonight?"

"Well… Lily told me about a party tonight at one of the guy's dorms off campus. Lily's my best friend, and my roommate. I was thinking about going but I still have this freakin' paper due on Monday… So I'm not sure. What about you?"

Sandy smiled at her, making Kirsten's knees go weak. He had such a good smile. "How about I'll help you with that paper again tomorrow? I'd like to see you at that party tonight…"

Kirsten smiled as she bit her lip. "You're going as well?"

"Yeah, it's at my place actually. Me and my friends are throwing the party."

Their eyes locked as they smiled at each other, Kirsten suddenly feeling a bit shy. It felt as if Sandy was looking right through her, and it made her feel so… Excited. "In that case…. I'd love it if you could help me again tomorrow with my paper."

"Of course! We'll talk about it tonight, okay?" Kirsten excitedly smiled and nodded. "Perfect."

"I'll see you tonight, Kirsten!" Sandy kissed her cheek before taking off, leaving Kirsten slightly surprised. He just…. Left, without any actual notification. He didn't even try to kiss her, just a polite kiss on her cheek… Kirsten wasn't sure exactly what that meant, though she couldn't help herself smiling the entire way back to her apartment. 

* * *

"I'm so excited!" Lily and Kirsten had almost reached the apartment where the party would be taking place. Lily had been ecstatic Kirsten had decided to join her, especially since Sandy Cohen would be there as well. Lily had heard about the guy, though she had never met him before. She had met one of his roommates though, Mike.

"I'm sure you're mainly excited because the Mike will be there as well." Kirsten wiggled her eyebrows and Lily chuckled as she made a face. "God, Kirsten, no! Yes, that guy was fun. For a month. I'm so done with him now though, he was way too serious." Lily waved her hand while talking, dismissing all Kirsten's assumptions.

"Well, you better behave tonight or I'll tell him you've been wanting to see him very badly." Kirsten stuck out her tongue as Lily shook her head. "Like hell you won't. I'll tell Sandy Cohen about your crush the minute I spot you even talking to Mike."

Kirsten couldn't help but chuckle. She had been so excited about her coffee date with Sandy that afternoon that she'd been talking pretty much non-stop about him. "I'm sorry for my babbling all evening. It's just… That guy is so fascinating."

Lily smiled at her friend. Kirsten had genuinely seemed happy when she'd returned a couple of hours earlier from her meeting with Sandy. There had been a sparkle that Lily hadn't seen in a while. She shook her head as she said: "You know I'll never be annoyed with you for something like that."

They had reached the door of the men's dorm when Lily added: "Just don't let me go home on my own."

Kirsten chuckled as they entered the dorm via what appeared to be the backdoor. "I would never."

The place was already filled with at least thirty people, all smiling, talking and holding the always popular red cups.

"Lil!" A redhead flew around Lily's neck. Kirsten wasn't quite sure who the girl was, though Lily seemed equally excited to see her as well. "Jenny! I didn't know you were back!"

The girls broke their hug as Jenny shook her head. "I'm not! I just heard about this party though, figured it would be a perfect opportunity to come and say hi again."

"Ohh, I'm so glad you did! Such a surprise!" Lily hugged the girl once again before saying: "Jen, this is my best friend and roommate, Kirsten. Kirs, this is Jenny, we met in LA and, well, such a long story actually."

"Hi Kirsten, so nice to meet you!" The girls shook hands as Kirsten said: "Likewise."

She tried engaging in the conversation for a while before realizing Lily and Jenny obviously had quite a lot to talk about. She excused herself, knowing Lily would be perfectly fine and could probably guess she'd be looking for Sandy.

Kirsten wasn't sure where to look. The house seemed… Big, for a dorm, with a huge staircase in the middle of the room and tons of people filling the place. She said some hello's and waved at a couple of people in the process. She had reached the table filled with liquids before she had found Sandy, and decided to pour herself a drink first. Some vodka would definitely be nice.

She was putting the cap up on the bottle again as she heard a voice in her ear saying: "I never though you'd be the vodka kind of girl." Kirsten turned her head to face the man on her side, happy to find it was the dark haired man she'd been looking forward to meet that night. Their faces were close and Kirsten smiled, their eyes locked as she replied: "Hmm, I think you'll find I'll have more surprises."

Sandy raised his eyebrows, a grin on his face as he said: "I'm looking forward to it already. Come, let's talk some place more quiet." He reached for her free hand and grabbed it before leading the way. Kirsten couldn't help but feel a spark running through her entire body. He took her outside to the patio in the front of the house, where it was surprisingly quiet. The weather was good and the sky was filled with stars. Kirsten loved it.

Sandy sat down as he let go of her hand, Kirsten missing the warmth immediately. She sat down next to him, wanting to sit as close as she could to him. She decided against that though, not sure if that would be the best idea. Sandy looked at her for a bit before he said: "So. Hey. You look beautiful. I doubt you ever don't look beautiful, but, still."

Kirsten chuckled. "Thanks, I guess. So this is your place, huh?" She took a big gulp of her drink and managed to suppress a gasp when Sandy's hand rested on her upper leg.

He took a sip of his beer before saying: "It is, apparently. It's great, honestly. This place is big, plenty of space for the three of us. It's so great, living with your best friends."

"I know, I'm so happy to have Lily close to me all the time." They both smiled and Sandy said: "I'm glad you came."

"Me too." They were silent for a bit and Kirsten decided to scoot over a little bit. She had barely eaten anything and she felt as if the alcohol was already hitting her brain, though it could easily be just being in Sandy's presence that caused that fuzzy feeling. She made sure her leg was touching his before she said: "I enjoyed having coffee with you this afternoon," not looking at him as she did.

"Me too."

Kirsten could feel Sandy staring at her before she looked up again, their eyes locking. Kirsten smiled before letting her eyes dart to his lips and back to his eyes again. She really wanted to kiss him. Should she kiss him?

Kirsten wasn't sure if she had been the one initiating the kiss. She did feel herself melt the moment her lips met with his. God, he had good lips. Soft, big… Perfect. The kiss started sweetly, both gently starting it off. Kirsten soon felt herself wanting more, her tongue slowly peaking out to ask for access to meet his. Sandy eagerly opened his lips, their tongues immediately meeting. Everything about their kiss was sweet. Kirsten felt Sandy's hands on her waist, pulling her a bit closer to him as he deepened the kiss.

"Ahum…. Sandy? We kind of need you for a second, sorry to ehm, interrupt…"

The heavy voice startled Kirsten and she almost jumped away from Sandy. His hands were still steady on her waist though, not letting go of her as he broke their kiss with a sigh. "Paul, seriously?"

The guy –named Paul, apparently,- shrugged. "Sorry man, there's something wrong with the oven, and we do need snacks. Hi, I'm Paul by the way, Sandy's roommate." He waved at Kirsten, who smiled before murmuring: "Hi, Kirsten." She was glad it was dark outside, as she could tell her cheeks were getting all red.

Another sigh escaped from Sandy's lips as he said: "Fine, I'll be there in a second Paul."

"Thanks Sandman! I guess I'll see you around, Kirsten!"

Paul disappeared again as Kirsten chuckled. "Sandman?"

Sandy looked at her before chuckling as well. "Yeah, he loves to call me that… I eh… I'm sorry about that." He got up and held out his hand for her, which she gladly accepted before getting up as well. "It's okay."

They were getting inside again as Sandy turned around, facing Kirsten again before saying: "You're not leaving anytime soon, are you?"

Kirsten smiled, pretending to be thinking about it as she said: "I'm not sure yet… Still deciding."

A grin appeared on Sandy's face as he said: "I hope you'll decide in my favor, Kirsten Nichol. I'd love to talk some more."

"Talk only?" Kirsten winked at him before they entered the house, the grin not leaving Sandy's face as he said: "I guess I'm up for some other activities as well."

Kirsten smiled at him before going a separate way, deciding it was time to find Lily again. It was because of that, that she didn't notice Sandy being grabbed by Paul into one of the storage rooms.

"Paul, what are you doing?"

Sandy raised his eyebrows, not sure why his best friend was dragging him into one of the tiniest room of their home. "Sorry man, I just figured this was a private thing."

"What, you want to declare your love for me?" Sandy wiggled his eyebrows and Paul slapped him. "No, Sandy, this is serious man…"

"What do you mean?"

"She's here… I'm sorry, she got in without any of us knowing about it. She's looking for you. I didn't want to tell you with that pretty blonde by your side…" 

* * *

Lily and Kirsten were laughing hysterically; one of the guys they had both never really seen before, a redheaded guy with a little bit too many pounds on his body, had decided to do some sort of silly fireman striptease act for one of the girls who was turning 21 on midnight. The girl didn't seemed to be to please with it though, begging her friends to get him away from her. People were enjoying the scenery too much though, Kirsten and Lily including.

It had been over an hour since Kirsten had seen Sandy though, and she was actually dying to see him again. Once their laughter had worn off, she nudged Lily before saying into her ear: "I think I'm gonna go see if I can find Sandy…"

"You should let him find you!"

Kirsten chuckled. That was very much Lily, always letting a man work hard for her. "I know, I know. I just… I'm just gonna get a little peek of what he's up to. Wanna come?"

Lily smiled. "I am quite curious as to who this Sandy Cohen is. You lead the way."

The girls made sure their drinks were filled before Kirsten grabbed her friend's hand, leading her through the massive amount of people in search of Sandy. He didn't seem to be anywhere in the big living room, nor was he outside on the patio. Where was Sandy? They made their way over to the kitchen, passing a couch on their way. They had almost passed it when Kirsten stopped dead in her tracks. There was Sandy.

She dropped Lily's hand when she noticed a brunette near him. They seemed to be in a deep conversation. The brunette sat a little bit too close to Sandy for her liking. She stared as Lily stood next to her. Lily had not seen Sandy Cohen before, but looking at Kirsten made it clear it was indeed Sandy Cohen on that couch right in front of them. She was about to tell her friend he was probably just having a random conversation when the brunette girl suddenly pulled the guy in for a hug, her hands touching the nape of his neck as she pressed himself against her. This wasn't just a friendly hug. Definitely not.

Kirsten wasn't sure what she felt. She had just met Sandy, she knew it was silly. But seeing this in front of her made her sad, made her heart feel as if a knife was suddenly stabbing it. She turned around; she didn't want to be her anymore. 

* * *

"I knew I'd find you here…. I got our coats and your purse. And a little extra something."

Lily dropped into the sand next to her friend before covering Kirsten's bare legs with her jacket. She could tell Kirsten had been crying. Lily had been quite sure Kirsten had fled to the beach after her sudden disappearance from the men's dorm. Instead of rushing after her, Lily had figured it would be smart to find their stuff first. She'd doubted Kirsten would want to return later for that. Luckily, she had found her friend on their very favorite spot on the beach.

"Hey! Don't cry over him. He's a fucking idiot."

Lily threw her arm over Kirsten's shoulder before handing her the bottle of whiskey she had stolen from the party. "Here. Take some."

Kirsten eagerly took a gulp, the liquid burning in her throat as she quietly said: "I don't know why I'm getting so worked up over a guy I've known for a fucking day. It's stupid."

"It's not stupid." Lily hugged her friends closer before adding: "He's just an idiot. Any guy not appreciating you is an idiot. A fucking idiot."

A small chuckle escaped from Kirsten's lips before she said: "I think I should hold on better to that pact of ours."

The girls looked at each other and Lily smiled before saying: "You don't need a man, Kirsten Nichol! You have me!"


End file.
